Russian lawmakers are voicing strong support for the Kremlin’s action to shield Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime from international sanctions over its crackdown on a 11-month old uprising.

Lawmakers in the lower house of the parliament debated a statement on Friday on the situation in Syria that strongly warned against foreign military intervention. The document accused the West and the Arab nations of trying to change the regime in Syria.

Alexei Pushkov,the head of the State Duma’s foreign affairs committee,said Russia strongly opposes another ”operation to promote democracy.”

Russia and China used their veto power at the U.N. Security Council to block a resolution urging Assad to step down. The move came even as the Syrian government forces intensified their crackdown and drew strong international condemnation.